10 Books Everyone Should Read Before Leaving School

1. The Lord of the Rings Trilogy by J. R. Tolkien

Not only will the trilogy blow your tiny teenage mind, but you get eternal bragging rights for having read the whole thing.

2. Frankenstein by Mary Shelley

Mary Schelley pretty much invented the genre of science fiction with Frankenstein. Nearly two centuries later, we're living in her world. Also, everyone needs to know the difference between Dr. Frankenstein and the Frankenstein monster.

3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen

Which will teach you important values like not being a stuck up, antisocial little b****. And also to swallow your pride and that love is the greatest force of all, etc. Good read, even without a single zombie in sight.

4. 1984 by George Orwell

Because if you're gonna feel like you're a faceless cog in a corporate machine (and you will, by the time you're in high school), you might as well have George Orwell holding your hand through it.

5. The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling

Listen, we're not asking you to go through all seven, but if you get to Prisoner of Azkaban, there's really no turning back. These books taught an entire generation all about friendship, courage and dealing with adversity, so there's probably something in there for you.

6. Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren

Let Pippi teach you all about having candy for dinner and underage equestrian ownership - i.e. getting a pony. It's not all it's cracked up to be, but if there's a time to read this book, it's when you're 13 and YOUR PARENTS REALLY JUST DON'T GET YOU.

7. The Catcher In The Rye by J.D.Salinger

It's "The Catcher In The Rye", ok? It's angst, with a side of angst and some fresh angst sprinkled on top. Nobody will ever get you as well as Holden Caulfield, But as soon as you leave high school, Holden instantly morphs from dreamy thruthspeaker into an annoying cry baby. It's science. So get on this while you still can.

8. The Hitchhiker's Guide To The Galaxy by Douglas Adams

Ford Prefect is a lost and confused alien in a big wide world. He's basically all of us. The Hitchhiker's Guide is one of those books that openly admit that nothing really makes sense and that's a pretty comforting thought to have with you as you go through middle/high school hell. Also, it's just really great.

9. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carol

It's Alice in Wonderland, ok? You're officially not allowed to watch the Tim Burton version until you've read the book.

10. A Monster Call by Patrick Ness

This one is really bleak, but sometimes you need that to feel better, ya know? This book tells the story of Connor, a 13-year-old boy, who gets nightly visits from a nightmarish monster, as his mother battles the terminal stages of cancer. This book is all about dealing with grief and getting through the bad bits and it's just full of essential life wisdom, ya know?

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